Topics
- Jerry and Mary White, Friends & Friendship, p.54“Moves are seldom easy to handle. We cling to the known and the comfortable and view with caution the unknown or strange. But the anticipation of new friends can soften a difficult experience and create a warm response to a new situation.”
- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, p.164“When you get to your wits’ end and feel inclined to succumb to panic, don’t; stand true to God and He will bring His truth out in a way that will make your life a sacrament.”
- Joanna Weaver, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, p.35“Worry or anxiety is specifically mentioned twenty-five times in the New Testament alone as something we should avoid.”
- Linda Dillow, Calm My Anxious Heart, p. 31“Ultimately, contentment is more a shift in attitude than a change in circumstances.”
- H E Manning, quoted by Elisabeth Elliot in Keep a Quiet Heart, p.147“Neither go back in fear and misgiving to the past, nor in anxiety and forecasting to the future, but lie quiet under His hand, having no will but His.”
- Continue to reach out for help and guidance as you go through this transition. Don’t isolate yourself from the body of Christ and community that you need.
- Read any of the online articles listed in this guide and discuss it with your spouse or mentor.
- Memorize one of the scriptures in the hope and help sections of this guide.
- Read one of the books listed in this guide or choose a section to read and share your thoughts with a friend or mentor.
- Discuss your feelings about this move with your spouse; be open and transparent, speaking the truth in love.
- Have a family meeting and have everyone share his/her feelings about the move in a relaxed environment. Help your children realize that it’s okay to feel a little afraid or even angry, but encourage them by sharing that you are in it together and you will all get through this change. Try to focus on the sense of adventure that comes with a move.
- Remember that you are not alone. All military families move as well as other occupations that require relocation. There are many families in the same position as you right now, right here on this post/base.
- Spend quality time with your children, listening to their concerns and needs.Help them to get settled. Be an example of reaching outward rather than inward.
- Find a church or local body of believers that suits your family’s needs as soon as possible. Get involved!
- Discover what sorts of activities are available for your children and family in the community. Again, get involved. Be an initiator.
- Join a small group for couples and begin to build a support network.
- Remember that the Lord loves you and is always there for you. He’s just a prayer away!
- Support your spouse and don’t blame him/her for any anxiety you are experiencing.
- Plan adventures with your children to investigate the culture, language and sights of the place where you will be living. Take advantage of the opportunity you have to experience living in this new area.
- Take lots of pictures and make a scrapbook of the adventures you experience while living here.